Mom was out in the garden picking green beans the morning of Dad’s funeral.

It was late July, and the garden was in full swing, with vegetables ripe for the picking every day.  Dad was a prolific gardener; he loved it.  Growing up, I often heard him proudly naming each item on the dinner table that came from the garden, and usually that included almost everything.

Dad also loved to share the bounty of his garden with others.  If there was a family in need in the church or in the community and Dad heard about it, he brought them some fresh vegetables.  Neighbors were regularly visited with a basket of whatever was in season at the time.

It seemed appropriate then, that we blessed those who attended Dad’s funeral with some of his garden’s largesse.  Zucchini and yellow squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers were all plentiful at that time, and we prepared baskets of them to be placed in the narthex so guests could take some as they departed.  But the green beans – Mom insisted they tasted best if you ate them the same day you picked them.  So in the early morning on that day, Mom slipped into her gardening clothes and donned her hat, and set out to pick what was ready.

On the day we buried her husband of almost 64 years, Mom chose to bless others.  The decision to do this came natural to her; her life was always lived this way.

Living a life that blesses people, choosing to disadvantage ourselves to benefit others, can become instinctual for us.  It is cultivated in the decisions we make in all the large and small moments, until it becomes almost an unconscious act on our part.  The decision to share Christ’s love has already been made, and now it is just a matter of seeing the opportunities to live out such a life.

Lord Jesus, open my eyes to all the blessings around me, and help me to share them with others, always giving You the glory.  Amen.